The present application is directed to implants and methods for a variety of medical applications and, more specifically, to implants that transform from a malleable state for insertion and positioning within a patient to a hardened load bearing state after being positioned within the patient.
There are numerous devices and methods for inserting an implant within a patient to support a vertebral member. Many of these generally involve invasive surgery that requires resecting tissue in order to gain access to the injury site. This may include the need to cut through skin, nerves, vessels, muscles, ligaments, and/or tendons. These procedures may also require longer surgical procedures that use general or spinal anesthesia, and blood transfusions.
Invasive surgery may also result in a longer hospitalization period that is necessary for the patient to recover. During this time, the patient may have post-surgical pain and discomfort. Further, there may be a need for significant recovery time that requires physical therapy. Inherent with this amount of additional care is the increased costs associated therewith.